Kingston Antiques Centre

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Usually when I go shopping in Kingston, I turn right out of the station, towards Fife Road. On my last trip, however, I decided to see what was in the other direction, down Old London Road. Quite befitting the name, I came across , and thought it was worth a look inside. How right I was. Immediately to my left was a cabinet full of Charlie Bears . As a big collector, this discovery made my face light up, although I must admit I was a bit disappointed when I found out that they only had current bears in stock. Being an antiques store, I was hoping to find retired bears that were no longer available, but these were all recent releases with bears that I either already had or did not want. All the same, it is nice to know about for the future. The cabinet also displayed many other collectible bears from other companies, including a large Paddington Bear for £75.





Anyone who collects other types of toys are also in for a big treat; there were old Victorian dolls, Pelham Puppets for £34, model aeroplanes, and lots of Disney merchandise, such as a Mickey Mouse money box, and Seven Dwarves figurines.



One item that particularly caught my eye was a wind up toy because my Nana has one exactly like it (although this one was in much better condition). Unfortunately I could not see a price tag, because it would have been interesting to see how much it was worth.



As you can tell, the toys were my main area of interest, but you can rest assure that there was much more. If you like your crockery, you'll find several elegant tea sets including cups, saucers, tea pots and plates. There was also silver cutlery, brass spoons, and a brass spade for shovelling coal into a fire.



From outside, the shop looks quite small, but like Dr. Who's tardis, it is bigger on the inside. The place just seemed to go on forever. I would reach what looked like a dead end, and then low and behold, there was a side passage leading to another hidden area. Then just as I thought I had come to the end of that passage, there would be another cubby hole, and another, and then after that I discovered an upstairs. Many of these cubby holes were decorated like rooms (all be it, very cluttered ones), with furniture in the corner, rugs lining the floor, chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and paintings hanging on the wall. The furniture was all in very good condition, with ornate red velvet arm chairs, chaise longues, and buried under lots of other junk, there was a wooden bench like the ones you fine in churches.

For the fashion conscious, the first floor was rife with vintage clothes, including American Football College jackets, high heel pumps, and quirky dresses.



Although they do not generally buy goods, the one thing he will look at are coins. He has quite a big collection, but welcomes you to bring your coins in to be examined.



If all that browsing made you peckish, there is not even the need to go in search of somewhere to eat, as they have their own Polish cafe overlooking the lower floor.

#things_to_see
#shopping
#kingston_upon_thames
#fun_things_to_do
#cafes
#antiques
%wnlondon